UK imposes sanctions on Russian children's commissioner accused of forced adoptions

Sanctions also target Vladimir Putin’s allies, military commanders, and Russian and Myanmar arms dealers

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Commissioner for Children's Rights Maria Lvova-Belova at the Kremlin. AFP

Britain has announced a fresh wave of sanctions against Russia, aimed at people it claimed were involved with the “barbaric treatment of children in Ukraine”.

Those who have been sanctioned include Russian children’s rights commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova, for allegedly orchestrating the forced transfer and adoption in Russia of 2,000 Ukrainian children violently taken from the Luhansk and Donetsk regions.

Each has been dealt an asset freeze preventing them from dealing with British banks or businesses, and a ban on flying to the UK.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said: “Today we are targeting the enablers and perpetrators of [Vladimir] Putin’s war who have brought untold suffering to Ukraine, including the forced transfer and adoption of children.

“We will not tire of defending freedom and democracy, and keeping up the pressure on Putin, until Ukraine succeeds.”

The Foreign Office said that in her role as Commissioner for Children’s Rights, Ms Lvova-Belova was responsible for undermining and threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. Specifically, the Ukrainian foreign ministry has accused her of orchestrating the forced abduction and adoption of Ukrainian children in Russia.

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Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, was also sanctioned for his support and endorsement for the war in Ukraine.

Ms Truss said Mr Kirill has “repeatedly abused his position to justify the war” and will be sanctioned alongside other “collaborators”.

She told the House of Commons: “Sanctions must be kept in place while Russian boots are on Ukrainian soil. And we must keep increasing the pressure.”

The Russian Orthodox Church dismissed the sanctions against its leader.

"Attempts to intimidate the primate of the Russian Church with something or to force him to renounce his views are senseless, absurd and unpromising," church spokesman Vladimir Legoyda said on Telegram.

"The church - now especially - is the last bridge, a means of communication, which they are trying to destroy for some reason," Mr Legoyda said.

"This may be necessary only for those political forces that have the escalation of conflict and the alienation of peace as their important goal," he added.

A foreign office statement said: “Putin’s aggression reaches beyond Ukraine, with Russian exports fuelling conflict across the globe. New sanctions today hit organisations responsible for supplying aircraft parts to the Myanmar Armed Forces.

“These new sanctions will limit Myanmar’s military Junta — who are heavily reliant on Russian air assets — and cut Putin off from profiting from sales that fund his war machine."

Other new sanctions target Mr Putin’s allies and military commanders.

They include:

· Sergey Savostyanov, the deputy of the Moscow city Duma and member of Mr Putin’s political elite, was sanctioned for publicly supporting the war.

· Alexey Isaykin, president and board member of Volga-Dnepr Group, a Russian transport company with significant air operations that is contracted by the Russian government to create air bridges that carry critical goods.

· Four military colonels from the 64th Separate Motorised Rifle Brigade — a unit which allegedly killed, raped, and tortured civilians in Bucha — have also been sanctioned.

· Members of the so-called “Salvation Committee for Peace and Order” — an organisation accused of collaborating with the Russian army to support the occupation of the Kherson Oblast.